Marc Jacobs “A Creative Exchange of Thoughts”

The well-established designer is the patron of the Designer of Tomorrow award that encourages and guides young creatives. Marc sees his role as a mentor, someone who offers expertise and assistance, rather than as a critic of their work.

“At a competition like Designer for Tomorrow I don’t see myself as a judge but as a mentor. The young people can talk to me about colors, fabrics, sizes or the texture of a fabric”, the world-famous designer explained to German fashion magazine Petra.

“I hope through talking with the young designers we can achieve a creative exchange of thoughts. For example I will share my experiences with them and advise them what worked for me.”

The New York fashion mogul will be present throughout the Designer For Tomorrow contest that is held in Berlin. Marc will guide the finalists through the early stages of the competition and the process of designing their first collections. He believes communication skills and a faith in your own creations are the key to success.

“Listen to your instincts and keep on pushing your ambition and passion,” he explained were things that worked for him on the way up. “Instead of compromising, find creative ways to implement new ideas. Talk to people who buy and sell the clothes.”

With such a big input from Marc, similar styles to those already made famous be his brand could be created by the protégés. However, the coach is comfortable with the prospect of seeing his styles emulated in what the rookies produce.

“That’s a compliment for me and my teams,” he said. “We want our drafts to be worn. We don’t draft for fashion shows, stores or exhibitions. Fashion is meant to be a creation that is produced, bought, worn and most of all, loved.”